Guest
The experiences of everyday life and beauty and heartbreak it brings offer an important source of inspiration for Darkstar. In ‘Text’, this plays out in the vocal snippets that address the experience of losing a loved one and the unflinching grace that comes with it. In the accompanying video, Darkstar remind us that our memories are shaped by those we share them with. Black and white home movie footage capturing family moments is interspersed with imagery of unforgettable football moments and iconic raves, which blur together like an ephemeral photonegative. Discussing the video process, Shilt, the director explains: “Living next to Aiden and briefly in the same flat with James, I was particularly inspired by the relationship between the two of them. I aimed to create an abstracted visual dialogue that embodied their brothership and love for their families through the various personal clips they’ve sent me. We worked together in exploring various looks inspired by modern communication tools & tactile graphics to harmonize a visual language that fit with the tune.” On their most personal record to date, Darkstar counterbalance observations of their home with those of the community surrounding it. ‘Civic Jams’ is a photonegative of a dance record shaped by a dialogue between shoegaze atmospherics and UK bass music’s ‘hardcore continuum’.
